An earlier version of the Post article reported that the anonymous U.S. official claimed that the purpose of the sanctions is regime change, which offered a clear indication that the U.S. had discarded diplomacy in favor of economic warfare.

The Post later revised the report, clarifying that the official said the purpose was to “create hate and discontent at the street level so that the Iranian leaders realize that they need to change their ways.”

Regime change has probably been the goal for some time. The Bush administration had received from Congress funding for a program of support for rebel ethnic groups in Iran to work to undermine the government. President Obama recently issued a finding which extends existing initiatives and is intended to create insurgencies inside Iran, primarily by supporting Iranian dissident groups to conduct domestic terrorism and undermine the Iranian regime.

Another official, speaking separately, disagreed that the aim is to collapse the regime. He told the Post “The notion that we’ve crossed into sanctions being about regime collapse is incorrect. We still very much have a policy that is rooted in the notion that you need to supply sufficient pressure to compel [the government] to change behavior as it’s related to their nuclear program.”

The intelligence official admitted to the Post that Iran isn’t building a nuclear weapon. “Our belief is that they are reserving judgement on whether to continue with key steps they haven’t taken regarding nuclear weapons,” he said. “It’s not a technical problem.”

The administration also apparently knows how dangerous their approach is, not just for the Iranian people and the region, but for Iran’s attitude about building the bomb. “It could have the opposite effect from what’s intended,” the official said, “and impel the Iranian leader to decide, ‘We’re going to build that nuclear weapon.’ We’ve thought of that.”

12 thoughts on “Goal of Iran Sanctions is to Stoke Public Discontent, US Official Says”

“It could have the opposite effect from what’s intended,” really? This is what the enemies of Iran may have been hoping for, but unfortunately the Iranians are not that stupid. Maybe it worked with the DPRK which has at least one powerful friendly neighbor.

The anonymous official may have told the Post that the administration hopes that sanctions “create enough hate and discontent at the street level” that Iranians will turn against their government.
But it is more likely that,
"The constant sanctions, harassment, lies and murder may create enough hate and discontent for the people of the world to finally say ENOUGH! to America and its continuous and outrageous crimes against humanity and the innocent children of the world."
History has taught us that 'People will always celebrate the defeat of tyranny".
David felled Goliath with a single stone and we celebrate his victory even today.
The Persians invaded Greece and the heroic stand taken by a handful of Spartans still fills people with pride. The majority of cultures in the world have a myth that celebrates the weak standing against the strong.
The sun is already setting on the blood soaked American empire and only one thing is certain. History will not be kind.

"The goal of the Obama administration’s sanctions on Iran is to undermine the regime by stoking public discontent, a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Washington Post."
No, the goal of the administration's sanctions is to keep its Israeli masters happy– at least the American pro Israel lobby doesn't insist members of congress wear their shirt collars over their jacket collars a la the Knesset. At least not yet.

Since it appears that operation clean break is the official policy of the Likud and its poodle the USA I would wonder why any nation other than Israel would support USA policy. Saddam attempted to keep from being attacked and he ended up hanged. Libya was attacked just after being visited by so many chickenhawks. Both naitons were members of the United Nations and they were allowed to be attacked
without a word against a United Nation being attacked.

Iran has understood since 1954 that the USA was not interested in what was best for the people of Iran. They have no desire to see the government of Iran ending up like the government of Lebanon, Iraq, Libya and Egypt.

One has to quesiton what ever happened to the image of the good guy that we grew up believing.

Probably that good guy never existed. Ask the millions all over the world who have been, for decades, at the receiving end of the "enlightened" American foreign policy. As a citizen in South America, I can tell you a few things

I agree with all comments,imagine another country was supporting terroism and and incouraging people to overthrough there government.America would be calling them terrorist and bombing them as soon as possible.

USA applied the same warfare economic sanctions to Sadam's Regime after the first Gulf War back in the 90's. The result was catastrophic , 500.000 children dead and millions of Iraq's citizens starving. In spite of sanctions the power of the Baath party remained intact holding the control of the society and the army. Wrong way Mr. Obama.

What i can't understand is why the scientists of the whole world don't make a protest about the killing of Iranian scientists.I can understand that US_Israel pressure on the "free world"diplomacy and that the demonizing of Iran regime by the official media propaganda could distort the reality and make Iran the "world existential threat" but the scientists lack of reaction on these immoral assassinations is stunning.The same about the silence of writers,philosophers,well known intellectuals.

Why doesn't America change it's ways, and leave these people alone.They won't stop until war breaks out! All to benefit Israel. Have you noticed most of the worlds problems lead back to Israel? If Ron Paul was pro Israel he would be Americas next president!